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Gallery Proposal
With the women’s rights issue rising in Iran in 2022 and also in the US regarding woman’s right to make their own health decision related to pregnancy, this artworks in the gallery emphasize how unfairly women are treated and the forced gender role the women have to follow. The purpose of this gallery is to help young artists or viewers realize that we need to recognize and break out of the gender inequality frame that society has set for women since a long time ago and to let students know the importance of the artist’s role in society other than creating and sharing visual imagery. The male gaze still exists today in the art produced nowadays, portraying women sexually as marketing strategies are used in many industries. Even those artworks still impact women’s life by continuing the gender role in many different forms of media.
The artworks presented in the gallery recognize women’s achievements as well as women from diverse cultures and identities which are rarely recognized in the U.S. education system. As an art educator, shining light on feminist art and art created by female artists is necessary to challenge students’ beliefs, goals, and lifestyles helping them create meaning and adding depth to their daily life. The three artworks on the left side of the door when you walk in represent how women have been feeling due to the social environment. How women have and still live in fear due to inequality and lack of respect. The first wall that is visible when you walk into the virtual gallery, is the identity wall. The four artworks present how women have been accepting the gender role as women’s identity. The first artwork, Wakeah by Cara Romero, represents the accurate visualization of a native woman. The second and third artworks represent how gender role is a big part of women’s identity that has been passed down for so long. Finally, the last artwork by Barbara Kruger represents how ridiculous the gender role is and how women have been forced to meet the gender role. The right side wall has three artworks that represent women’s accomplishments and how unrecognized women’s achievements are. The first two artworks emphasize male supremacy and the male gaze that is present in art and society. The last artwork by Judy Chicago is to advocate women’s achievement.
This exhibition intends to help students break out of the frames that have been passed down for a while in many industries. In addition, the exhibition teaches additional perspective on people’s ideas of art. Instead of viewing art as a decorative piece, it helps viewers to realize that visual representation and art can be used to share feelings, emotions, and ideas.